French voters protest corruption amid troubled campaign

PARIS – French activists are demonstrating against corruption amid a presidential campaign marked by a fake jobs investigation and other legal scandals.

Inspired in part by the weeks of anti-corruption that have rocked Romania, demonstrators from left-wing parties and other groups gathered at the Place de la Republique in Paris and in other cities on Sunday.

The organizers invited participants frustrated with politicians who "practice the opposite of what they defend" and who are "unconvinced by the excuses" of officials accused of corruption.

Protesters especially targeted conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon, who is under investigation for paying his wife and children for allegedly fake jobs as his parliamentary aides.